 Singaporean law firm RHT Taylor Wessing recently announced its intention to merge with PBC Partners in order to expand its oversight of the ASEAN Economic Community. According to the firm, the merger between the two signals the its drive towards a seamless regional legal platform through integrating brand, technology and knowledge across ASEAN and is a major milestone in the regional economic integration agenda in ASEAN, offering opportunities in the form of a market of US$2.6 trillion and over 622 million people.The merger is in line with the AEC Blueprint 2025, which is aimed towards achieving the vision of having an AEC by 2025 that is highly integrated and cohesive with enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation and a more resilient, inclusive and people-oriented, community, integrated with the global economy. Commenting on the launch of the new office, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing’s Managing Partner, Tan Chong Huat noted “The merger signals our commitment to intensify our ASEAN growth strategy via our ‘ASEAN+’ network. What started out as an alliance of like-minded law firms has now grown into a pre-eminent legal firm in Vietnam. Vietnam is one of the fastest growing emerging markets in the world and is poised to play an important role in the ASEAN economy. Our base in Vietnam allows us to actively serve our clients’ business needs across the region, providing on-the-ground counsel to guide them through the legal challenges posed by cross border transactions and operations.” Azman Jaafar, Deputy Managing Partner of RHTLaw Taylor Wessing and Chairman of the ASEAN+ group, added “Launching a new office in Vietnam is part of the series of the strategic growth initiatives we have planned to bolster our presence across ASEAN. In addition to the considerable business opportunities present in Vietnam, the country also serves as a gateway to the Indochina region, potentially opening up avenues for us to service clients in the promising Laos, Cambodian and Myanmar markets.” RHTLaw Taylor Wessing Vietnam will be led by Tran Thanh Hai as Managing Partner and Benjamin Yap as Senior Partner. Hai stated “I am indeed excited by RHT’s model of combining strong local knowledge with international expertise. Our partnership will allow us to leverage the brand, platform and technology of RHTLaw Taylor Wessing and transform ourselves into a regional and global player. We look forward to working with the Singapore team to build a market-leading office in Ho Chih Minh City and Hanoi”, Hai remarked. |
